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Cummins Taking on Tesla with Electric Semi Truck

By 24/7 Support including Chat / www.supplychain247.com / August 30th, 2017

Cummins unveiled a revolutionary new all-electric powertrain in a demonstrator truck to the media yesterday, a few weeks ahead of Tesla's planned revealing of its own electric "semi" truck.

Cummins Inc. has unveiled plans for an electric truck, beating Tesla to the punch.

Cummins late yesterday showed off its designs revealed a fully electric class 7 demonstration Urban Hauler Tractor, adding to its portfolio of environmentally friendly engines.

The lighter, denser battery design allows it to hold a longer charge for improved range and faster charging, reducing down time.

It is expected to enter production around the end of the decade, Motor Authority reported.

Cummins has brought on engineering firm Rousch to help design and build the engine.

These products and technologies add to Cummins’ unmatched portfolio of solutions and offer customers the latest in environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and powerful products to help them succeed in every market and every application.

With these new innovations, Cummins will continue to provide connected customer support, including cloud-based solutions and big data analysis, in order to maximize uptime, safety, and business optimization, increasing customers’ bottom line.

“These new technological innovations build on our 100-year legacy of bringing the best solutions to our customers, driving their success and meeting the evolving demands of their industries and markets,” said Jennifer Rumsey, Chief Technical Officer, Cummins Inc.

“We will harness our global technical footprint to continue to develop a wide variety of power technologies to bring our customers the choice and solutions that enable their success and contribute to a sustainable future.”

During the event, which included tours of the Cummins technical center, Cummins leaders and scientists showcased the company’s continued innovation and work in analysis-led design capability, virtual reality, alternative fuels and digital capabilities, all of which are positioning the company to win in current and future technologies and in new markets.

The truck is expected to have a maximum payload of 44,000 pounds, with a battery's capacity is 140 kilowatt-hours, which is enough for about 100 miles of range, making it more suitable for local deliveries.

An extended-range version is also being developed with a 300-mile range thanks to a diesel engine serving as the range extender.

Cummins predicted that battery improvement could lead to a 20-minute charge time for trucks by 2020, compared to the one hour it takes now.

Tesla is expected to unveil its plans for an electric semi in September with a range of somewhere between 200 and 300 miles.

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